What happened to Nigel when he was young?
by floweringflutie
Summary: Nigel Townsend was injected with an experimental formula when he was a baby back in England. Now, decades later, he must deal with the effects as his life is changed drastically. Sometimes OOC. Rated M for mpreg. Plz R&R. Of course, I don't own anything.
1. I'm What? He's What?

It was a chilly day in Southern Boston when Dr. Nigel Townsend and Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh walked into the morgue in which they called work. Dr. Garrett Macy was already in the office, going through the day's paperwork. He had already started brewing a fresh pot of coffee when Nigel and Jordan walked in. As soon as Nigel's foot was across the threshold, he had to bolt for the communal bathroom in the reception area. In his hurry, he hadn't locked the door, and as Lily Lebowski and Dr. Bug were coming in, they heard him retching. Not long after he had nearly run them over, Jordan walked over. "Hey. Did you see Nigel…?" "Yeah, we did. What's wrong with him?" "I don't know. Let's find out." "Maybe it would be better if only one of us went in. Like you, Lily. He really likes you." "Oh, I can't deal with vomiting like that. Why doesn't Bug go in? He works closest with Nigel." "Okay. I'll go in." He walked in, and left the two standing with their ears pressed up against the door.

Bug slipped inside the door and softly closed it behind him. He could hear Nigel whimpering from around the corner, and shortly after he whimpered, there was the unmistakable sound of heaving. Bug walked over to where Nigel was kneeling, slumped over the toilet, sobbing quietly into his elbow, and put his hand on Nigel's shoulder. He looked up, and Bug could see the pain in his eyes. He went to the sink, wet a paper towel, and gently sponged Nigel's face with it. Not long after he had begun to sponge Nigel's face, he had to face the toilet again to relieve his stomach. When Nigel was sure that he had emptied all of his stomach contents into the toilet, he flushed, put his head on his arm, and started to quietly sob again. Bug handed him another damp paper towel, and he sponged out his mouth. "Nige, why do you think you vomited so much?" "I don't know. I have been for a week. And I can't seem to stay awake. I sleep all the time, and my belly feels firmer than before for some reason. Here, give me your hand." Nigel grabbed his hand, and he positioned it over his belly down near his waist. Bug gently palpated, and it was indeed firm instead of soft as it normally would be. Bug looked up at him, and Nigel shrugged.


	2. Not Your Typical Workday

During his lunch break, Nigel went to the local drugstore and bought two pregnancy tests. He went into the bathroom, careful to lock the door this time, and took the tests. He paced the vicinity of the bathroom while he waited for the results of the tests. After five excruciatingly long minutes, he peered at the windows of the two tests. The result was the same on both: pregnant. He screamed, and Bug, Lily, and Jordan came running. They started banging on the door, calling to him, and tried the handle. He opened the door, and motioned for them to come in and shut the door behind them. He wordlessly held up the two tests, and once they saw the results, their jaws dropped. "Nige, are you sure? I mean, those things can be wrong." "Bug, there's two of them. Also, I have a lot of the symptoms. I found a list, and I have most of them. I'm pregnant."

The door opened, and Detective Woody Hoyt walked in. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know this was occupied. Why are you all in here?" "Come here, Woody. I have something to show you." They parted to make a path for him, and Nigel handed him the tests. He looked up at Nigel questioningly, and Nigel gestured down with his eyes. Woody stared at them, and after a few seconds, he looked up again. "No. Nigel, you can't be." "I am. I'm pregnant." He was biting his lower lip, fighting to hold back tears. Lily put her arms around him, pulling him into a hug, and he started to cry. "Oh, Nigel, it'll be okay. You have all of us to support you." "Thanks, guys. I don't know how this could have happened. I mean, I was injected with a gene altering formula when I was a baby, and I have female attributes, but mostly male ones. I wonder if it caused me to have a uterus. I mean, I know babies grow in their mother's uterus, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Hey, Woody, can you step to the side?" He did, and Nigel lunged for the toilet again. Lily slipped out of the bathroom, and so did Jordan, leaving Bug and Woody with Nigel. Bug sighed, and got another damp paper towel. Woody held Nigel's hair back while he gagged into the toilet.

After he dry heaved, he wiped the tears from his eyes, and blew his nose. Woody went into the lounge and got Nigel a Sprite to help settle his stomach, and brought it back into the bathroom. He had barely gotten out of the lounge before he ran into Dr. Macy. "Woody, what are you doing?" "Getting Nigel a soda. He's sick in the bathroom." "Oh, okay. Should I give him the day off?" "I don't think he'll like that. He's been a little emotional lately." "Why?" "Maybe you should ask him that, not me. Now if you'll excuse me, he needs this." He slipped past Dr. Macy, and walked back to the bathroom. No sooner had he reached the door when he heard Nigel heaving again. He waited until he couldn't hear anything anymore, and he opened the door.


	3. How Is That Possible?

Bug looked up from the floor, where he was sitting with Nigel's head in his lap. Nigel had curled up on the floor, hands curled over his belly protectively. He was sobbing quietly into Bug's lap, and Bug was gently stroking the side of his head. "Here, Nigel, I brought you a soda. It'll help settle your stomach." "Thanks. You know, now I realize why my stomach felt firmer than before. It's because there's a baby there." "It is? I thought it looked like you had just put on a few pounds." "Well, I have, but it's also firm because that's where the baby is. Here, lemme show you." He took Woody's hand, and put it next to where his was. Woody felt the firmness, and his other hand went to the same spot on his own body. Undeniably, Nigel's did feel firmer than his did. Nigel raised an eyebrow at him, and took a small sip of soda. A few seconds after he swallowed, he threw up again. After he had sponged his face and rinsed his mouth, he went to his desk. He sat down, and propped his feet up. Dr. Macy walked by in the hallway, and stopped in for a brief chat.

"Nigel, you feeling okay? I heard you vomiting this morning." "Yeah, I'm good. Thrilled, actually." "Why?" "Because I'm going to be a dad." "That's great! So, who's the lucky gal?" "I am." "What? Nigel, you're a guy!" "Yeah, anatomically. But when I was a baby, doctors back in England injected me with an experimental formula which gave me female attributes also. So, voila, I'm pregnant." "Wow. So, what are you going to do about… it?" "Well, I've always wanted to have children, and now that I'm pregnant, I think I'll keep it." "Wow. Good for you. Why don't you sit out on autopsies for a few days?" "No, Dr. Macy, I'm fine!" "Nigel, you love coffee. But the smell made you sick. I don't even want to think about what the smell of bodies will do to you." "I'll be fine."

Just then, Jordan wheeled a body by them, and Nigel had to clap a hand over his mouth. Dr. Macy looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and said, "You were saying…" "Maybe I should stick with the computer stuff until I get this puking under control." "Maybe. And you love working on those things." "Yeah. And that way, I can sit all day. My back's been hurting lately." "Why has your back been hurting?" "Well, it's not really a pain, it's more of a cramping." "Oh. Okay. That's good. It means that the baby's attaching itself to your body. That's also what the morning sickness is. You're body's adjusting to the baby." "Oh, okay. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some faces that need to be matched with names." Dr. Macy stepped aside, letting Nigel through.


	4. What Kind Of Doctor Do I Need?

When Nigel got to his desk, he plunked himself down in the chair and put his hand on his miniscule belly. He sighed deeply as he leaned back like a couch potato. Bug walked in, and saw Nigel sitting in a strange position a few minutes later. "Um, Nige, what are you doing?" "Trying to not puke, okay? I read online that if you sit with your head between your knees, you won't get sick." "Nigel, that's for fainting, not vomiting! Here, lemme help you up. You shouldn't be that curled over. It could be bad for your back and your baby." "Oh, man! I don't want to hurt the baby!" Bug put his hand under Nigel's arm and gently straightened him up. "Thanks, Bug. I don't think I would have been able to do that without getting dizzy." "No problem, Nige. How're you feeling? Well, other than sick." "Okay. I realized that I keep putting my hand over my belly for some reason, almost like I'm protecting it." "Well, that's not unusual. It's the paternal instincts starting already." "Wow. I guess I am already taking my baby's best interests to mind." "That's good. I can tell that you're going to be a great dad." "Thanks. I hope so. I want to be as good a parent as I can."

Later, he contacted his insurance company, and they gave him the name of some obstetricians within a 10-mile radius. He called the one that was closest to his apartment and the office, and made an appointment with them for a few days later. As he left the office for the night, he couldn't help but subconsciously rest his hand on his belly. When he got into his car, he closed the door and started to quietly cry. He leaned his head on the steering wheel, and put his hand protectively over his waist. After he calmed down and drove home, he got into a warm bath. As he was washing off his body, he left his hand over his belly where the baby was. He lay in the bathtub, his hand resting lightly on his belly. He lightly kissed his fingers, and put it down on his waist where he had felt the firmness earlier. He left his hand there, and closed his eyes. He imagined himself three months pregnant, then seven months, and then nine months. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself smiling. "You and I are going to have a good life together, baby. You've got your Uncle Woody, Uncle Bug, Uncle Garrett, Aunt Jordan, and Aunt Lily. Some of them may be a little odd at times, but you get used to them. You'll love them. And they'll love you. Almost as much as I do." He gently traced around his belly button, and he imagined that he could feel the baby moving. "Oh, that was a big movement. I can't wait until I really feel you move. I can't believe I'm pregnant. It seems too unreal." He continued to gently soap up his chest, and when he got to where his heart was, he left his hand there. He felt his heart beating, and he put his hands flat over his pectoral muscles. "Hmm, I wonder if these are going to swell at all. It'll be so weird to wear a bra. But maybe I can just work around it." He chuckled to himself, and got out. After he heaved a little bit more, he sighed what seemed like a sad sigh and got into bed. After a fitful four hours of sleep, he ended up watching late night TV.


	5. An Eerie Coincidence Or Is It?

The next day, when he walked into the morgue, Lily hugged him. "How's our daddy to be feeling?" "Okay. I haven't gotten sick today, which is good. And I was happy on my way here." "That's good. So, maybe you'll have a good day today." "Yeah. Now, what do you have for me, love?" "Three John Doe's, five Jane Doe's, and a scorched body." "So, what happened to these people?" "Head on collision between a car and a train car. The scorched body is assumed to be the conductor. They all seemed to be drunk in the car, including the driver. Paramedics said that some were babbling incoherently while car parts were lodged inside their bodies. Talking about some guy named Charlie M, or as they called him, CM." "Did they happen to mention any last names?" "One, but it was hard to figure out. It sounded like they had said Janson, but it could be any name. Why?" "That reminds me of a murder case from back in the late 60s. The murderers were always talking about a guy named Charlie. The Tate-LaBianca murders."

Lily's jaw dropped as she made the connection. "Wasn't that Charles Manson? Why would people in their twenties or thirties be talking about something that happened before their time?" "Unless they were planning something similar. Did you know that Sharon Tate was eight and a half months pregnant when she was killed? She begged her murderers to let her have her son, then kill her. Obviously that didn't happen." His hand subconsciously went down to his belly, and he shuddered. "What is it, Nigel?" "Oh, I was just imagining that happening to me. Too freaky. Her killers had no mercy." "Wow. You really know a lot about it. Let's use that smart brain and figure out who these John and Jane Doe's are." "Alright. Can I see the files?" She handed them to him, and he went into the lab to run scans on the fingerprints.

After about an hour of running through the database, he found half of the fingerprints. He continued to look, and found criminal records for the ones he had identified. DUIs, robberies, possession of drugs. It seemed like the only crime those people hadn't committed was murder. "Well, well, well. You were busy people." Bug walked in, and he saw Nigel struggling to hold back tears. "Nigel, what is it?" "These people were Manson follower wannabes. At least, that's what it seems like. They kept mentioning his name in their drunken state, and they had swastikas carved in various places on each of their bodies. That freaked me out. I mean, I know what happened in August 1969, and I wouldn't want that to happen to me or my baby." "Nige, don't worry. It won't. You and your baby are safe." "I know. But I just was freaked out." "It's okay, Nigel. Did you manage to get the prints matched?" "Half of them. The scorched body was almost impossible to get the prints off of, and some of the other bodies had prints, but no records in the system. What I did manage to find, though, were records for the other half of the group, and they all had criminal records. Oh, excuse me."

He bolted for the door, and grabbed the trashcan next to it. He puked into it, and Lily walked in right as he was heaving. "Oh, Nigel. I guess you need to get some air, huh?" He had gone pale, and he was holding the trashcan to his chest. He nodded, and sniffled. "Come on. I'll go with you." She walked over to him, put her arm around his shoulders, and gently led him to the elevator.


	6. The View Is Always Greener In Boston

They ran into Woody on the way there, and he looked worried. "Nigel, what's wrong?" "He's gotten sick again. We're on our way to the roof so he can get some air and maybe feel better." "Oh, okay. Hey, have you seen Jordan?" "Yeah. She should be in the morgue." "Thanks." They had four floors to go before they got to the roof, and two floors up, someone got in the elevator. They had gotten off on the wrong floor, and they had to go up one more. She saw Nigel with the trashcan hugged tightly to his chest, and looked at him sympathetically. "Do you have the flu?" "No. I'm…" "He has food poisoning." "Oh, poor dear. Just make sure you drink plenty of fluids and eat small amounts of food." "He will. I'll make sure of it." "Are you his girlfriend?" "No. I'm a co-worker of his. We work for the Boston ME's office." "Oh. Very nice." She got off the elevator, and Nigel and Lily went up one more floor to the roof.

When the doors opened, Nigel bolted out, deeply breathing the fresh air. He started to heave again, and he brought the trashcan to under his chin. She came over and gently rubbed his back while he gagged, and he emptied his stomach. They stayed up there for a while, and then they went back to work. He didn't get nauseous for the rest of the day, and was able to run trace like he normally would without any interruptions. When he went home that night, he lay on his bed, hand on his belly. He stayed like that for a while, and got up to make some dinner. After scanning the contents of his kitchen, he decided on soup. As he was waiting for it to be heated up, he thought about the baby. After he had eaten and showered, he climbed into bed. That night's sleep was the most peaceful that he had experienced all week.


	7. Connections From The Past

The next day, Nigel was late for work because he had a doctor's appointment to check the baby. While he was filling out paperwork in the waiting room, he looked around the room at all the women, some barely pregnant, like him, and others extremely far in. A very pregnant woman sat down next to him, and sighed deeply. She looked over at him, and he smiled at her. The woman put her hand on her belly, and Nigel couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed. "Your wife's in the bathroom or something?" "Oh, no. I'm here for me. I'm pregnant." "What, is this some kind of joke?" "No, no joke. Have you heard of the research that scientists did in England in the early 70s? The one where they injected baby boys with a serum to see if they would obtain female characteristics?" "Yeah. I remember reading about it online." "Well, I was one of the babies that they tested on. I don't know how, but I'm pregnant." "Wow. My cousin's friend was one of them also. But it didn't work on him. That's great. How far along are you?" "I just found out the other day. What about you? You look like you're uncomfortable." "Oh, I am. But that's what happens when you're eight and a half months pregnant." "I can imagine. I'm Nigel Townsend." "Rachel. Rachel Parker." "Nice to meet you, Rachel." "Likewise. Say, why do you look familiar?" "I work in the Boston ME office. I do autopsies and computer work." "I knew I recognized you from somewhere! You did the autopsy on my father a year ago. John Parker. Myocardial infarction." "Oh, yeah! I remember that. You came in and ID'd the body. He was in a car accident also, right?" "Yeah. He had the heart attack while driving to work on the freeway." "Yeah." "Nigel Townsend?" He looked up, and the nurse was calling him in. "Well, it was nice to have seen you, Rachel. Good luck with everything." "You too, Nigel."

When the doctor came in, he had been gently rubbing his stomach. "Nigel? Hi, I'm Dr. Thompson. So, it would seem as though you're pregnant. Why don't you lie back and I'll check you out." He eased himself onto his back, and she gently lifted up his shirt. When she started to gently feel around, he inhaled sharply. "What is it?" "Your hands are cold." "Oh, sorry. I tend to have cold hands. It runs in my family." "Really? Well, a warm heart runs in mine." She looked at him, and smiled. He smiled back, and they chuckled.

After staring into his eyes for a few seconds, she went back to the examination. "So, from what I can tell, you're about 11 weeks pregnant. We'll be able to hear your baby's heartbeat at the next appointment. And we'll schedule an ultrasound for around that time. Then you'll see and hear your baby on the same day." "Yeah. That'll be amazing. I just wish I could see it today." "I know. But not yet. The earliest you can see it is 13 weeks. It'll go by so fast." "I guess." He made another appointment for a month later, and headed to the morgue. When he stepped out of the elevator, he went to the bathroom. Instead of vomiting, he started to cry. "How am I going to be a dad?"


	8. What's Wrong With Nigel?

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Bug and Lily standing at the desk, waiting for him. "So, how did the appointment go? Any pictures yet?" "No. Not for three weeks. But she said that the baby's doing fine. Developing right on schedule. And everything seems perfect with me. Heart rate's right where it should be, weight is a little under the ideal, but the doctor said that with the baby growing and putting on weight, I will also. And my blood pressure's normal, maybe even low. And the baby's the perfect size for where it is in development. It's right about at my pelvis now. My next appointment's in three weeks, and that's when I'll hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. And see my baby on the sonogram for the first time also. It'll be amazing. I can't wait."

They saw the look of sheer thrill on his face, and they became excited. "Yeah. It'll be cool. So, did your doctor give you any guidelines about the care of yourself and the baby?" "Yeah. I can't have any more coffee or anything with caffeine. Which sucks because I love coffee. But I'll do anything for the baby." "Wow. He has the daddy mentality already! And he just found out a few days ago." "Well, it didn't take long for me to adjust to the idea of having a baby. And the doctor said that the stuff I was injected with did give me a uterus. And my body developed a placenta, so the baby will get everything it needs." "That's amazing. I'll bet you're excited." "Oh, you have no idea. I love this baby so much already." "Aww. Nigel, watch out for the door!" They had been discussing the appointment as they walked to Nigel's desk, and a door suddenly swung open. It narrowly missed smacking Nigel on the head, and Bug and Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. That was close." "Yeah, that was. Nige? You feeling okay?" Bug ran forward and caught Nigel as his legs started to give out from under him. Lily took Nigel's legs, and they moved him into a chair. Lily ran to get some water, and Bug started to fan Nigel with a small handheld fan he always kept in his desk drawer. Lily came back with a small cup of water from the lounge, and put it on the small table next to the chair. "How's he doing?" "Breathing's normal. But he hasn't shown signs of coming to yet." Bug adjusted his arm in his lab coat so his watch was in plain view, and he put two fingers on the inside of Nigel's wrist. He counted for thirty seconds, and multiplied it by two in his head. He also took note of each beat and how it felt under his fingers. "Well?" "Pulse is weak, but gradually getting stronger. And his heart rate's slow. Come on, let's get him into autopsy where we can lay him down. On three. One, two, three." They hoisted him up, Bug on one side, Lily on the other, and they each draped one of Nigel's arms around their shoulders. "I've got a better idea. Let's lay him on the couch in the lounge." "Brilliant, Lily. That way, when he wakes up, he won't be surrounded by corpses. We don't want a _The Sixth Sense_ repeat. It was weird enough the first time I heard it." "Oh, you mean where the kid says that he sees dead people?" "Exactly. And the couch will be more comfortable than a cold, hard autopsy table." "True."

They slowly got him to the lounge, and they carefully stretched him out on the couch. Lily got the emergency medical supply bag out of the cabinet, and brought it over to Bug. He rifled through it, found the stethoscope, and straightened it out. He warmed the diaphragm in his hands for a few seconds, and he slipped his hand under Nigel's shirt. He felt with his fingers for a few seconds to see where Nigel's heartbeat was, and once he found it, he put the diaphragm over where his finger had been. He listened for a minute, and he readjusted the stethoscope so it was a little further to the center of Nigel's chest. "Hey, Lily, come listen to this." "What is it, Bug?" She put the earpieces in her ears, and she heard Nigel's slow heartbeat. But she also heard something else, a sloshing with every beat. "A murmur?" "Yeah. Either that, or he has really noisy blood."


	9. He's Awake!

Lily looked at Bug, and he shrugged. "Yeah. Should one of us stay with him until he wakes up for in case something happens?" "Well, it's a slow day, so we both could stay." "True. I still can't believe that he's pregnant." "I know. It's amazing, but strange at the same time." Bug stood up, and walked over to the computer. He started typing, and Lily looked back at Nigel. "Bug, what are you doing?" "I'm going to look and see if he's written anything about his pregnancy yet on his blog. Nothing yet. But he probably will soon. If I know Nigel, he can't resist staying away from his blog. He'll probably document everything that happens to the baby and to him. Like I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he writes about seeing and hearing the baby in three weeks. Also when he first feels it move." "Yeah. You really know Nigel well." "Well, I work closely with him everyday. How's he doing?" "Still no signs of waking up. But his breathing's more even now. And his heartbeat has settled back into a steady rhythm, and it's strong again. I guess his heart just needed to recover. He seems fine now. He's just sleeping. Oh, it looks like he's waking up."

Bug came back over to the couch, and stood behind Lily. Nigel stirred slightly, and blinked in his sleep. He didn't wake up, but he did shift positions to get comfortable. Lily started to stroke his head, and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey, Nigel. How're you feeling?" "Awful. What happened?" "You collapsed. And we can't figure out why, other than the momentary drop in blood pressure." "Okay." Bug came rushing into the office, the paramedics at his heels. "When did he wake up?" "A minute ago. Did they bring a gurney?" "Yeah. It's out in the hallway." "Okay. Did you tell them about…?" "Yeah, I did. They know about it. They're prepared." "Okay. That's good."

Lily got off the couch so the paramedics could examine Nigel, and she stood behind them with Bug. After a few minutes of examining Nigel, they gently transferred him onto the gurney. They strapped him in, and they started to wheel him out. He asked them to stop for a second so he could talk to his friends. "Come visit me later?" "Of course. And we'll explain to Garrett what happened." "Thanks. You guys are the best." He held his hand out, and Lily took it. She walked alongside him until they got to the ambulance. After they had loaded him in and shut the doors, they turned the sirens on and drove away. She struggled not to cry, and turned to walk into the building.


	10. Ambulance Conversations

In the back of the ambulance, Nigel was looking around, watching the paramedics poke and prod him. They hit a sensitive spot in his chest, and he grimaced. She noticed, and was careful to not press too hard when examining that one spot. She started to ask him general health questions, and some of them led to the baby. "Do you have a history of fainting or seizures?" "I fainted once before, but that was because I hadn't eaten anything all day, and I was starving. Other than that, this is the first time I've fainted." "Okay. And how far along are you? Your friend told us so we could better care for you." "Great. About 7 weeks. I just went to an appointment actually. Then I went to work, and that was when all this happened." "Got it. We don't have the right equipment here to check everything, so we'll do the best we can until we get to the hospital." "All right." She continued to ask him questions, and a few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital.

They carefully got him out of the back of the ambulance, and wheeled him into the emergency room. A doctor ran up alongside them, and started asking questions. "What's the problem here?" "Nigel Townsend. 37-year-old male. Fainted at work, was out for ten minutes. His friends called us from the morgue where he works, and we picked him up there. He's 7 weeks pregnant, just came from an appointment this morning. BP's 115/70, pulse is 115." "Okay. Mr. Townsend, how're you feeling?" "A little bit better. Dizzy, weak, and thirsty. Will my baby be okay?" "We'll do tests on both of you to be sure. Any previous history of fainting?" "Only once when I didn't eat because I was pulling a double at the morgue." "Okay. That's good. Take him into exam one. I'll be there in a minute." They wheeled him into the room, and pulled the curtain around to give him his privacy.


	11. First Sights, Strong Emotions

A few minutes later, the doctor came around the curtain, pulling it back around after him for Nigel's privacy. "Hi, Nigel. I'm Dr. Richardson. So, I hear that you fainted." "Yeah. I don't know why, though. I mean, I just had a doctor's appointment this morning, and she said that my vitals were okay. It's not that I got up too fast, because I had been standing for ten minutes prior to fainting." "Hmm. Okay. Let's check you out." "Will you check my baby also? I'm 7 weeks pregnant. I'm worried that something might have happened to it when I passed out." "Sure. We'll check your baby after we check you, okay?" "Okay." The paramedics had already asked Nigel to get into a hospital gown so Dr. Richardson could properly examine him, and he stuck electrodes all over Nigel's chest. The EKG started to beep normally, and occasionally would have an irregular beep when Nigel's heart skipped.

Dr. Richardson took his vitals again, and started to gently feel around Nigel's chest. When he got to the sensitive spot, Nigel inhaled sharply. "That hurt?" "A little bit. But that's been sore for a few weeks." "Okay. We'll check that out in a little bit." He moved down lower, and gently felt around Nigel's stomach. "Well, you are about 7-8 weeks. I'll get an ultrasound machine in here, and we'll check things out." He stepped out, and came back in a few minutes later with what looked like a computer. "Oh. Is it like a computer?" "Kinda. But we can't use the internet on it. I'll use this transducer, and put it on your waist. It'll send out sound waves, and those waves will give us images of your insides and your baby. It's a harmless procedure." "Okay." He put a little gel on the end of the transducer, and put it on Nigel's lower abdomen. He smoothed the gel around for a few seconds, and pressed down. He angled it a little bit, and typed something on the keyboard. Nigel struggled to catch a glimpse of the screen, and the doctor noticed. "Just hold on. I need to take some measurements first, then I'll show you where everything is." He lay back on the bed, and waited for Dr. Richardson to finish examining the images. "Okay, Nigel. You ready to see your baby?" "Yeah."

He turned the monitor, and Nigel gasped. There on the screen was a little being. "That's your baby, Nigel. That blinking spot right there, that's the baby's heart beating. And the little line that looks like beads is the baby's spine. How does it feel to see your baby? Is this the first time?" "Yeah, it is. I can't believe that's inside me. It's surreal. But amazing at the same time." "Yeah. That's the reaction I get from most parents. It never gets any less amazing, no matter how many times you do it." "I'll bet." They ran some more tests on Nigel, and moved him into a room.


	12. Friends Are Like Family

After they had moved him into a room and examined him, he fell asleep. He woke up later to the sound of quiet giggles. "Shh, Lily! You'll wake him up!" "I can't help it. He's just so cute when he's sleeping." He stirred, and pretended to still be asleep. "Oh, come on, Bug. Even you have to admit that he looks so peaceful when he's sleeping." "True. I wonder if they did any tests on the baby." "Well, they have two heart monitors going, so my guess is yeah. The baby's heartbeat sounds healthy. Strong and fast." "Yeah. And the doctors said that he should be fine. He just had a temporary blockage in blood flow to the brain." "Good. What would we do without him?" Nigel opened his eyes slowly, pretending to be groggy. "Hey. You're awake! How're you feeling?" "Not good. What about you? How're you guys doing?" "We're doing okay. Thrilled that you're awake. And the doctors said that you'll be okay. You just have to take it easy for a while. They also said that the baby's doing fine." "Yeah, it is. I saw it, actually. It's so cute! They said that they'll be doing another sonogram later, and if you guys want, you can stay and watch. It's absolutely breathtaking." "Of course we'll stay. We'll stay as long as you want us to." "Okay." They talked for a while, until the nurse wheeled in Nigel's lunch.

A few hours later, after Nigel had slept a little bit, Dr. Johnson came to check on him. "Hey, Nigel. How're you feeling?" "Okay. These are my friends and coworkers, Bug and Lily. They're the ones who were with me when I passed out. Actually, they're more like my brother and sister. We're all like family at the morgue." "That's great that you're all so close. So, have you told them about…" "About the baby? Yeah, I have. They were in the bathroom with me when I was puking. Well, not Lily because she gets squeamish. But Bug was. And some of our other friends were, but they're all still at work. At least, I think they are." "Yeah, Nigel, they are. But they're going to be coming by after their shifts. They were all so worried about you and the baby." "That's sweet. So, Nigel, right now, your vitals look good, and so does your bloodwork. We want to keep checking on the baby every few hours by ultrasound, okay?" "Sure. Can they stay here?" "Of course. Did you tell them about your reaction a few hours ago?" "No, I didn't. Well, I told them that it's incredible, but other than that, no. I wanted them to feel their own emotions." "Cool. So, do you feel any different since you came in? Any dizziness, nausea, anything like that?" "Well, nausea of course, but other than that, some irregular beats, and some palpitations, no." "Okay. We'll look into the palpitations later. You ready to see your baby?" "Yeah, I am. I'll always be ready to see my baby. Other than the people at the morgue, this baby's my only family." "Wow. That's so sentimental. Okay, you'll feel some pressure on your chest, and then I'll move it down to your waist. I just want to do an echo first to see how your heart's holding up." "Okay. Bug and Lily can stay for a while, right?" "Sure. As long as you can handle." "Okay."

Dr. Johnson got the transducer from the hook on the side of the cart, and put a little gel on the end of it. He put the transducer on Nigel's chest, and smoothed the gel around for a few seconds. He settled on a place, and moved the transducer around a little to get the best visual of Nigel's heart. He watched it for a few minutes, then he turned the screen so Nigel could see it. "See, Nigel, there's the aorta, and there's the left ventricle. The sinoatrial node is somewhere in that area, and that's what caused the palpitations and irregular beats. But other than that, your heart looks fine." He took the transducer off, put a little more gel on it, and put it on Nigel's waist. He had to press around for a little bit, but he found the baby. When he did, he smiled at Nigel. "Okay, Nigel. Here's your baby." He looked at the screen, and grinned.


	13. So Many Emotions, So Few Words

_Hey, loyal readers. So sorry it's taken so long for me to write an update. Senior year of high school is extremely hectic. Between writing college essays, applying for college, Vocal Ensemble performances and practices, and family issues, I've had hardly any time to write. And of course, who can forget going to school every day. I would write when I could, but I could never get more than a sentence down before I had to work on homework. With my computer class assignment of creating a website of my own using HTML, my government class, and my Honors Advanced Lit class with __Crime and Punishment__ and __East of Eden__, I've had absolutely no time to myself and my thoughts. But I'm on winter break now, and I'll be able to write more. And of course with family coming for the holidays, my mom and I had to clean like crazy before Christmas. But now that things have settled down, I can write a lot more. Keep checking back for more updates! I promise they won't take forever this time._

Nigel watched the screen for a minute while Dr. Richardson moved the transducer to find the baby inside his belly, and he saw the flutter of the heartbeat, the string of the spine. His breath caught in his chest, and he started to tear up. He was holding the gown up with his right hand, and Lily was holding his left hand. The blanket was just under his pelvis, so that it was low enough for Dr. Richardson to do the ultrasound, but not low enough where he felt naked. The transducer slid a little bit, and Nigel saw the outline of a small head. "You see that, Nigel? That's your baby's head. And there's the heartbeat again. Have you told them about waiting to hear it on the Doppler?" "No. Can we show them? I mean, I haven't even heard it through that, but I've heard it on the monitor." "Sure. You wanna do it?" "Umm, I don't know. Okay. I'm just a little nervous about what might happen to the baby if I don't do it right." "Nothing will happen. It's just like this. Except instead of seeing your baby's heartbeat, you'll hear it. It'll be fast, but that's normal. It means that the baby's developing right as we want it to. Who knows? We might even hear your heartbeat also!" "Wow. That's amazing. Okay. I'll do it. I'm an amateur, though. All the people I do tests on are dead. I've never done a test on myself. But I'll do my best." "That's all we want is your best. Your best interest, your best health, your best happiness." "Wow. Okay. So, where's the stuff to do it with?" "Right here."

Dr. Richardson handed him the probe and the monitor, and he put a little gel on the end of the probe. "Okay, Nigel. Just put the probe where I had the transducer for the ultrasound. You might have to reposition and angle it, but that's normal. It's just that the baby's kind of small, and you have to find it. But you'll know when you've found it. The sound of your baby's heartbeat is unmistakable." "Okay. I just hope I don't screw up and hurt the baby or something." "Not gonna happen, Nigel. This is a harmless procedure also. The worst thing you could do is end up on your renal artery or something." "Oh, okay. That makes me feel a little better. I just don't want to hurt my baby." He put the end of the probe on his belly, and began to bite his lip. He turned the volume up, and heard a slight thumping. He angled the probe a little bit, and the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. Tears filled Nigel's eyes as he heard the rhythmic beats of the child growing inside him. "Is that my baby?" "That most definitely is, Nigel. About 160 beats per minute. Perfectly normal, perfectly healthy." The tears fell down Nigel's cheeks as he listened to the heartbeat of the baby that was developing inside him.

_A.N. I know that Nigel's the strong, quirky one, but I thought I'd have a little fun writing this. Also, when you're pregnant, the hormones rage, causing unpredictable moods. _


	14. Inner Thoughts of Nigel Townsend

_Hey, loyal readers. So sorry it's taken so long for me to write an update. My first semester of college was extremely hectic. Between writing essays, studying for exams, doing homework, and obviously going to class, I've had hardly any time to write. I would write when I could, but I could never get more than a sentence down before I had to work on homework. With my psychology, English 101, and math classes, I've had absolutely no time to myself and my thoughts. But I'm on winter break now, and I'll be able to write more. And of course with family coming for the holidays, my mom and I had to clean like crazy before Christmas. But now that things have settled down, I can write a lot more. Keep checking back for more updates! I promise they won't take forever this time._

_**A/N- Italics in the story indicate Nigel's thoughts.**_

After they had listened to the heartbeat for a while, Dr. Richardson gently felt around Nigel's belly. After determining that the baby was right where it should be, he took out his stethoscope and listened to Nigel's heart and lungs. Nigel looked at him with confusion, and he smiled. "I'm doing this so I can check for any murmurs or anything like that. It's merely precaution." "Oh. Okay. Hey, Lily, does this remind you of when you had Madeline?" "Yeah. But it seems so long ago, when it was only six months ago! She's getting so big! Oh, when're you visiting next? She loves her Uncle Nigel." "I love her, also. She's so special and precious. Has she started babbling yet?" "Yeah, she has. It's so cute! She gurgles, and her jaw goes up and down, You've gotta see it. I'll bring her by later." "Great. You know how much I love seeing her." "She loves seeing her Uncle Nigel anytime. She always does. Whenever she hears me say your name, she starts to look around for you." "She's the cutest little darling in the whole world. Just like her mommy. If you ever want to go out to dinner with Bug, I'll be happy to babysit again. I love playing with her. And it'll help me practice for when I have this little one." "That's very true." They continued to talk for a while, and Nigel dozed off. Lily snuck out, leaving Bug with him while he slept.

An hour or so later, Nigel slowly woke up, almost forgetting where he was. _"Ugh. What happened? Oh, wait, that's right. I collapsed at the morgue, and now I'm at the hospital. My, God! What about the baby?" _He turned his head slowly to avoid the head rush that would lead to another bout of nausea, and looked at the monitors by his bed. One had what he knew was his vitals, another was for the IV in his hand, and the last was going twice as fast as the one for his vitals. With a sigh of relief, he turned back to look at his barely swollen stomach. _"Oh, thank God. The baby seems to be doing alright. I wish there was some way that I could communicate with it! Well, I can always talk to it, but I don't know if it can hear me yet. And if someone who doesn't know about my situation walks by and sees me talking to Bug, who of course fell asleep, will think I'm absolutely crazy. I don't want to have to recount the whole story of my childhood to anyone ho walks by. I'll just talk to you later, little one! And remember, Daddy (or Mommy, whichever) loves you so much." _


End file.
